


Just Two Guys In A Dark Cave

by ladyeleanoroflienid



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang is 12, Can't wait till Toph joins this mess, Gen, I just wrote this because I wanted more Zuko, I listened to Secret Tunnel about 300 times, I still love that song, Katara and Iroh would be weird but good friends, Not Canon Compliant, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:53:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24964795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyeleanoroflienid/pseuds/ladyeleanoroflienid
Summary: This is what happens when Zuko and Iroh follow the Gaang into the Cave of Two Lovers.
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 111





	Just Two Guys In A Dark Cave

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope you all enjoy this fic, it's my very first one! 
> 
> Also, thanks to @Captain_Kieren for letting me spend an hour texting her the first draft of this. Beta'd by @Captain_Kieren too!

Sokka is floating on a large leaf, in the middle of a lake with his arms and hands dangling off the sides, and Momo curled up on his chest for a nap. Katara and Aang are practicing water bending off to the side somewhere. It’s a serene picture, and for once, Sokka has let his hair down to relax but he is also keen on keeping with the schedule. 

"You guys are going to be done soon, right? We've got a lot of ground to cover if we are going to make it to Omashu today." He is twirling his fingers in the water as he floats by Katara. 

Katara drops her stance and folds over, annoyed, "What? Like you're ready to go right now, naked guy?" She is confident of her comeback and stands above her brother in his trunks.

Sokka parts his hair with his other hand and looks up at her snidely, "I could be ready in two minutes. Seriously! Whenever."

Aang is also looking at Katara, "So you were showing me the Octopus form." He is standing in the water up to his ankles, with his tattoos out.

"Right, let me see your stance." Katara switches into teacher mode as she watches Aang shift positions. He moves into a wide-legged stance with his arms held out to his side, almost as if to say "bring it on". Katara moves her hand to her face, placing an L under her chin as she analyzes Aang's movements. Then she strides over to him and ducks under one of his arms. "Your arms are too far apart. See if you move them closer together, you protect your center," she says as she adjusts him. 

As Katara straightens up, Aang tries to hide his blushing, "Oh. Yeah. Thanks."

Katara walks away from him and readies her own stance, "Okay, let's see what you got."

Aang reaches down with both hands and the water begins to bubble until he is able to pull a blob of it around him and create eight tentacles, four on either side of him. Katara sends a dagger of ice his way and one of the tentacles catches it out of the air and breaks it. Aang begins to move his whole body in a twisting circular motion as the octopus arms deflect Katara's strikes; she is closing in on him. Feeling confident, he sends an arm out to wrap around her leg. She stops, knowing she's beaten.

When she looks up at Aang, he's engulfed himself in water, creating the body of an octopus to match his tentacles. "You make a fine octopus, pupil Aang." Katara laughs as Aang dances, puffing his cheeks out as he holds his breath. With a splash, Aang drops the water encasing him. 

There's a twang of a guitar string being plucked from somewhere on the bank and Momo stirs from his nap on Sokka's chest. He stands up and chirps, Sokka bending forward to separate Momo's ears to see where the noise is coming from.

Coming up over the hill is a group of musicians and dancers. The man in front is wearing a blue robe with a red hat and singing while he strums his instrument. Beside him is a man in white and pink, with a straw hat adorned with a flower, who is playing a drum. They are flanked by two women, one is playing a wooden flute, while the other one dances. A third man takes up the rear.

"Don't fall in love with a traveling girl! She'll leave you broke and broken-hearted!" The man in front was singing as the group walked into the clearing. He stops walking when he sees the kids, and the music drops out. "Hey, hey! River people!"

The sudden appearance of people startles Momo, who flees from his spot on Sokka's chest and takes to the air, leaving Sokka to flip over and into the water. 

From her spot by the bank, Katara says, "We're not river people."

"You're not?" The man looks at them critically, "Then what type of people are you?"

"Just people,” Aang answers.

The other man lifts his arm with a smile and says "Aren't we all, brother."

Sokka stalks out of the water and towards the musicians with Momo on his shoulder. He points accusingly at the man and asks, "Who are you?"

"I'm Chong," he answers with ease before turning to gesture to the lady playing the flute, "And this is my wife, Lily. We're nomads. Happy to go wherever the wind takes us." Then he returns his hand to the guitar and riffs.

"You guys are nomads!?" Aang asks. He gestures to himself before saying, "That's great! I'm a nomad!" 

"Hey, me too!" Chong repeats.

"I know, you just said that." Aang looks less enthusiastic than he had a moment before.

"Oh." Chong shifts his attention to Sokka, who is still dripping wet. "Nice underwear."

Immediately embarrassed, Sokka reaches for Momo who was perched on his shoulder and uses him as cover.

***

"Uncle! Did you hear that!?" Zuko says as he springs from the bushes. He and Iroh have been wandering around the wilderness for days, searching for refuge from Azula in the Earth Kingdom. When Zuko finds his uncle, he is crouching on the ground staring at a white and red flower. "I heard some music! And people talking." Zuko thrusts both arms in the air, shouting with excitement, "It could be the Avatar!"

Zuko turns and looks at his uncle again, who is still gazing at the flower. "Uncle, what are you doing?"

"You're looking at the rare White Dragon bush. Its leaves make a tea so delicious, it's heartbreaking." Iroh clasps his hands in front of him wistfully. "That, or it's White Jade bush, which is poisonous."

Zuko huffs. "We don't need tea; we need the Avatar!"

He grabs his uncle's arm around the bicep and pulls him up from his spot on the ground. "C'mon, I heard it from this way." Then Zuko stalks off with his uncle, still straining for the flowering bush.

***  
Aang and Katara have gotten out of the water and are lounging on Appa with the nomads. One of the women is braiding Appa's hair and adding little pink flowers to them. Lily is sitting next to Katara and braiding her hair for her, while Aang sits with his feet up and his arms folded behind his head like a pillow. He is wearing a delicate flower crown to match Appa. Chong is sitting on the other side of Aang tuning his instrument. Sokka, who has finally gotten dressed walks over to them.

"Hey, Sokka!" Aang lifts his head to greet his friend, "You should hear some of these stories. These guys have been everywhere."

"Well, not everywhere little Arrowhead," Chong says from his spot on Appa's rear leg, "but where we haven't been, we've heard about through stories and songs."

Aang isn't deterred. "They said they'd take us to see a giant nigh crawler."

The man in the pink and white robes is sprawling on the ground, his head supported by his hand on one cheek. "On the way, there's a waterfall that creates a never-ending rainbow." He rolls over, thinking of the place.

Sokka looks skeptical. "Look, I hate to be the wet blanket here, but since Katara is busy, I guess it's up to me."

Katara gives her brother a sour look from where she is getting her hair done on Appa's front leg.

Sokka ignores her and continues on, "We need to get to Omashu." He starts to count on his fingers, "No sidetracks, no worms, and definitely no rainbows." With that, Sokka crosses his arms.  
Chong slinks lower in his "seat" and fiddles with his guitar. "Woah! Sounds like someone's got a case of destination fever." He laughs and lays back with his eyes closed. "You're worried too much about where you're going."

Lily looks up from her work and finishes her husband's thought, "You gotta focus less on the where and more on the going." She spreads her arms out, still holding on to Katara's hair, and pulls the girl a little bit sideways.

Sokka takes a deep breath, annoyed. "O-MA-SHU." 

"Sokka's right. We need to find King Bumi so Aang can learn earth bending somewhere safe." Katara looks over at Chong.

"Well, it sounds like you're headed to Omashu." 

Sokka lifts his arm and smacks his palm to his forehead in frustration. 

Chong continues, "There's an old story about a secret pass right through the mountains."

Aang looks intrigued and glances at Katara, who asks, "Is this real, or is it a legend?"

"Oh, it's a real legend! And as old as earth bending itself." Chong looks pleased with himself as he sits up. He begins to rhythmically strum his guitar and Lily picks up her flute to play with him. It's a dance-y type of tune. Chong sings the best he can:

"Two lovers, forbidden from one another. A war divides their people and a mountain divides them apart. Build a path to be together..." He stops for a moment considering, "Yeah, I forget the next couple lines, but then it goes," He stands up and lifts his whole arm so he can really throw his weight into the chorus, "SECRET TUNNEL, SECRET TUNNEL, THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN. SECRET, SECRET, SECRET, SECRET TUNNEL! Yeah!" 

He collapses back against Appa's foot as everyone but Sokka begins to clap. Unimpressed, Sokka beings to speak again, "I think we'll just stick with the flying. We've dealt with the Fire Nation before. We'll be fine."

Aang gets up as Sokka walks towards him. He turns to Chong and says, "Yeah, thanks for the help, but Appa hates going underground. And we need to do whatever makes Appa most comfortable." A wide smile spreads across Aangs face as he looks at his air bison. 

The kids all say goodbye to the nomads and climb on Appa. They take off towards Omashu. 

***

"Prince Zuko, Zuko, slow down. My old bones can't take much more of this running." Iroh stops and plants his hands on his knees, bent over and breathing hard.

"Uncle, we can't stop!" All the same, Zuko stops to stand beside is uncle. "What if the people I heard was the Avatar! Then we wouldn't have to be fugitives. We could capture him and go back to the Fire Nation with Azula as victors, not prisoners."

"But is that what you really want, Zuko? Let the Avatar be. We can be free to make a new life now."

"Uncle." Zuko looks over at the old man. "You know I need to do this. I'm going to do it whether or not you're with me!" Zuko storms off down the trail.

Iroh follows him into a clearing by a lake, where a group of people is sitting playing music. Iroh quite enjoys the tune, he begins to bob his head back and forth.

"Uncle, look!" Zuko points up to the sky, where a six-legged air bison seems to be coming in for a landing. 

Some of its fur is scorched and dirty with ash. Fire Nation. Iroh pulls Zuko back into the brush by the hem of his shirt and they watch as the Avatar and his friends talk to the people on the ground. 

The boy in blue points ahead of him and says "Secret Love Cave. Let's go."

***

Sokka, Katara, Aang, and the nomads start walking towards the tunnel. The path is lined with tall stone walls and some rocky ruins.

"So, how far are we from the tunnel?" Sokka asks.

"Actually, it's not just one tunnel," Chong says, "The lovers didn't want anyone to find out about their love, so they built a whole labyrinth."

Sokka stops in his tracks and turns on Chong, "Labyrinth!?"

"I'm sure we'll figure it out."

"All you need to do is trust in love," Lily says, looking at her husband. "According to the curse."

Sokka freezes and stands stalk-still while everyone breezes past him. He lets out a growl of frustration and grasps at his hair before regaining composure. "Curse!?"

From ahead Sokka hears Chong yell, "Hey, hey! We're here!"

***

Zuko narrows his eyes. He and Iroh are crouched down behind a jut in the rock walls that line the path to the tunnel. They are being careful not to be seen, by the Avatar or Fire Nation troops. The Avatar's group is standing about 50 lengths ahead of them, at the mouth of a giant tunnel. The circular entrance is marked by an obelisk carved in the mountain above the tunnel, which is lined with statues of giants meant to be holding the mountain open. There is a curtain of moss and vines that hang over the top of the tunnel, making it look like a stage. 

They are talking about a curse. Apparently, only those who trust in love can make it through the caves, otherwise, you'll be trapped in there forever. And die. The man strums his guitar with gusto and sings "and die,” his voice echoing through the cave. 

"That's it! There's no way we're going through some cursed hole!" The boy in blue shouts.

Next to him, a heavy man in white turns and points towards Zuko and Iroh, who quickly duck as to not be seen. "Someone is making a big campfire!"

Zuko seizes and turns around to see a tall plume of black smoke reaching into the air. He narrows his eyes and looks at his Uncle, who nods. They have no choice but to go in the cave if they want to evade the Fire Nation.

"Everyone into the hole!" The boy in blue leads the rest of the group into the tunnel. The bison bellows out and bucks but follows them, obviously not pleased with having to go underground.

Once they disappear into the cave mouth, Zuko and Iroh stealthily follow behind. The songs from the musicians help to cover the sound of Iroh's heavy breathing.

Not even a second after Zuko and Iroh move to hide between the statues does a Fire Nation tank roll up to the entrance of the tunnel. He's surprised when the tanks stop; he was expecting a fight. Instead, long chains attach to the top of the cave entrance and pull the mountain down. Rocks cascade on to the ground, effectively closing them all in the tunnels. 

Iroh grabs Zuko's hand and pulls him further into the cave to avoid getting squashed. There is no light and Iroh creates a tiny flame in his hand. He holds it up to his nephew's face to see if he is okay. Zuko doesn't say anything just nods, but Iroh isn't sure if it's because he's shaken up or because of the Avatar nearby.

Footsteps. The group is coming back down the tunnel to see what happened! Zuko points to Iroh's flame and does a sweeping motion with his hand across his neck. The light goes out. Both of them stumble towards the wall of the tunnel, feeling for a place to take cover.

The bison leaps forward and attacks the collapsed rocks, trying to dig his way out. The Water Tribe girl goes up to him and reassures him that they'll be okay. 

The man playing the guitar has a lit torch attached to the headstock. It gives off a good amount of light but thankfully doesn’t reach the walls of the tunnel.

"We will be fine. All we need is a plan." The boy in blue says. He turns and points to Guitar Man, "Chong, how long do those torches last?"

Chong looks up at the flame, "Uh, about two hours each."

"And we have five torches, so that's ten hours!" Some lady lights all the other torches. For a moment, Zuko can see the entire cave from wall to wall. But before anyone notices him, the boy grabs the torches and is stopping them out.

"It doesn't work like that if they're all lit at the same time!" He walks over to the bison and pulls out a brush and paper from a sack on the saddle. "I'm going to make a map to keep track of exactly where we've been. Then we should be able to solve it like a maze and get through." 

The group starts to move down the tunnel, with only one torch lit.

***

"Sokka, this is the tenth dead end you've led us to, " Katara says not unkindly.

"This doesn't make any sense; we've already come through this way!" Sokka begins to run around the space illuminated by the torch. 

"We don't need a map. We just need love,” Chong says. He isn't singing anymore. Sokka isn't enough “go with the flow” for him. Chong points to Master Arrowhead, "The little guy knows it!"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't mind a map also," Aang says through a shrug.

Sokka turns again to face the rock wall he had led them to. "There's something strange here," Sokka said as he turned back to face the group. "There's only one explanation: the tunnels are changing."

A rumble and a hollow whine echo through the cavern. Chong, scared by the noise and Sokka's proposal, speaks out, "The tunnels, they're changing. It must be the curse. I knew we shouldn't have come down here!"

"Right. If only we had listened to you," Sokka deadpans, as he waves the torchlight farther into other darkness of the cave.

From behind Sokka, Katara takes the lead, "Everyone be quiet! Listen."

Again, a whine emits from the dark cave, causing Momo to leave his perch on Sokka's shoulder. For a moment, Sokka stares into the darkness; nothing happens. Suddenly a large winged creature springs from the blackness and knocks Sokka onto his butt, leaving the rest of the crew to face the monster.

From his spot crouching on the ground, Chong yells "It's a giant flying thing with teeth!"

Next to him, Moku clarifies, "No, it's a wolf-bat!

The wolf-bat leaps from the ground, spreading its wings as it moves around the caverns' walls. Its face is a contorted snarl of cartilage framing two red eyes. As it spins in the air to turn on the crew, Sokka dashes forward to wave his torch in the beasts’ face. It continues to charge, throwing Sokka off balance again and causing him to loosen his grip on the torch. But instead of attacking him, the wolf-bat flies over the head of the nomads and turns on two figures standing just outside the ring of light. No one had noticed them until now.

Zuko just barely misses the wolf-bat's talons as he sidesteps and sends a plume of flames at the thing's legs. So much for being discreet. In the same instant, his uncle steps forward to help Sokka up off the ground, and recover the still-burning torch from the floor, but it's too late. The torch lands on Appa's foot, sending him forward in a burst of fear. As Appa moves around the chamber, he smacks into the rock walls with his full weight. From above, rocks begin to rain down on the travelers. Aang sends a forceful wave in the direction of his friends, sparing them from being crushed by tons of rock. He turns around and grabs Zuko's wrist, pulling the still shocked teenager to safety. They crash into the hard stone floor as Appa bellows again. The torch goes out and they are bathed in darkness.

Just as fast as Aang was able to get Zuko in the ground, he is pushed off. A harsh, red flame takes the place of the torchlight as Zuko immediately begins to assault Aang from his position on the ground. This attack does more harm than good as Appa begins to thrash around the now much smaller space, rocks still finding their way to the ground of the cave.

"Are you insane!?" Aang shouts as the light from Zuko's blast dissipates. "You saw that Appa doesn't like fire! And he's already scared enough being underground!" Aang sends an air blast into the darkness, hoping it makes contact with Zuko and maybe knocks some sense into him. From the darkness, another blaze erupts and startles Appa yet again, but Zuko holds it steady in his hand, illuminating the room. 

He's changed since the last time Aang saw him. The ponytail is gone and he has short black hair covering his whole head. He also swapped his Fire Nation clothes for an understated green ensemble. This all makes him look less severe, and more like a teenager, someone Aang could be friends with...maybe.

Zuko doesn't say anything, just stares at the Avatar, the flames reflecting in his gold eyes. He reaches his other hand forward and begins to mold the fire into a yellow ball of light instead of a red dancing flame. The light fills the room completely and Zuko is able to assess the damage from his spot on the far side of the room. There's no chance that he could dig his way through to the other side. Angrily, he walks towards the young Avatar, who backs up into Appa but stands his ground well enough.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Earth bend the rocks out of the way!" The flame in Zuko's hands grows with his desperation.

"I can't. I don't know any earth bending yet." Aang defends, "We were on our way to Omashu to find a teacher." He crosses his arms over his chest and stares back at Zuko who growls with frustration as he turns towards the wall of fallen rocks.

Zuko stalks around the room and finds another tunnel that isn't blocked by any rubble. He turns to look at the Avatar and his bison before charging down the path.

***

On the other side of the rock wall, Sokka begins to dig through the rubble. More rocks begin falling into the places of the ones he moved. Katara comes to lay a hand on his shoulder, she guides him back to a seated position. "It's no use, he's stuck over there." Her face is a mix of hopelessness and worry as she looks up and down the rock wall. Sokka gulps and reaches a hand up to pat Momo's head, his face matching his sisters.

Standing next to Lily, who is holding a lit torch, Chong pipes up, "At least you have us!"

Sokka deflates even further.

Iroh moves forward, laughing quietly as he lights a second torch to pass to Katara, "Don't worry about him. I think my nephew will learn a lot from his time with the Avatar."

“I'm not worried about Zuko! I'm worried about Aang!" Katara walks away from Iroh, ignoring the torch he is holding out to her.

"I know how you must feel about my nephew," Iroh says, looking ashamed. He moves forward to place his empty hand on Katara's shoulder and looks between her and Sokka. "But believe me when I tell you that there is good inside of him."

As Katara moves to push Iroh's hand off her shoulder, Sokka stands up. "'Good inside him' isn't enough! Why don't you talk to us when it's outside him too, okay?" Sokka takes the torch from Iroh's hand, and storms off with Katara in tow.

***

As Zuko is the only one with a light now, Aang has no choice but to follow him. He guides Appa through the narrow tunnel and trails behind Zuko. The glow of Zuko's fire reaches a solid ten feet all the way around him, just enough that the Avatar can comfortably keep his distance from the person who has been tracking him for a near two months now.

After five minutes of walking in silence, Aang begins to quietly sing the song Chong performed for him and his friends earlier. He doesn't remember all the words, well Chong didn't either, but he's pretty sure the chorus was just yelling "secret tunnel" over and over again. 

"Avatar, what are you doing?" Zuko whirls around to face Aang again, anger still in his eyes.

"I'm singing!" Aang flashes Zuko a big smile, forgetting for a moment the situation he is in. "The nomads, the people we were traveling with, had a song about the history of the caves. It's fun!"

Thrown off by the kids' enthusiasm, Zuko turns on his heel and frowns, "Nothing about this is fun, Avatar."

"Maybe not to you," Aang grumbles after he's been thoroughly reminded of who is leading their expedition through the caves. "You know, Zuko, I might be able to help us get out of here quicker if I could actually see the path ahead of us!"

"Fine. Do what you want." Zuko sounds apathetic. He's finally "caught" the Avatar and there is nothing for him to do. He's trapped in a labyrinth, he's a fugitive from the Fire Nation, his sister is on the hunt for him, and his father never really wanted him back. And the one thing that was supposed to fix all his problems is standing next to him with no real significance anymore. He might as well just walk into the rest of the caves and never come bac-

"So, why are you hunting me anyways?" 

Spirits, the Avatar is as annoying as he is infuriating apparently. "None of your business."

"Uh...yeah it is. It's all my business," Aang huffs from beside him. 

The kid hardly comes up to Zuko's shoulder, yet he's the most powerful bender in the world. Not that that helps them get out of this forsaken cave. Zuko pauses for a moment, trying to figure out the best thing to say. He settles on the most blatant truth he has, "To regain my honor."  
"Okayyyyy..." Aang doesn't really understand how this means anything. What does he have to do with Zuko's lost honor? He's also overheard Zuko saying this before to his Uncle, but he still doesn't quite understand. Aang decides to investigate farther. "How did you lose your honor?"

"Like I'm going to tell you!"

Aang takes a beat to reply, weighing what he knows versus what he wants to know. Maybe discovering why Zuko needs to capture him could help quell their conflict. Air benders are never ones to be on the offensive though. "Well, I don't know, maybe I could help."

Zuko is taken aback by this. The Avatar would want to help him? By what? Giving himself up? Would that even accomplish anything? His father already banished him, thinks he's an embarrassment, and a traitor. What more does Zuko have to lose? When he speaks, his voice is quiet, "My-my father, he banished me. I spoke out of turn during a war meeting."

"What?!"

"What?!"

"You talked during a meeting and were banished, lost your honor, and sent on a useless quest to find me?"

Zuko isn't used to this type of reaction from people. Anger, yes, but this anger isn't directed at him. He reaches for the scar covering the left side of his face and mumbles into his palm, "...and challenged to an Agni Kai."

Aang notices this change in Zuko. Usually, he's brash and threatening, but know he seems vulnerable. He stops walking and looks at Zuko. "Did...Did your dad give you that scar, Zuko?"

Silence. Zuko stops a little ways in front of Aang in the tunnel and is still facing forward. He's never told anyone this, people always just knew or they didn't. But it was still his punishment, which his father, the Fire Lord, saw fit for his crime. "Yes."

***

The tunnels seemed to go on forever, but Sokka wasn't sure how much longer he could deal with Chong's singing, especially when he was the target.

"When the tunnel is at its darkest, that when you need a clown. Hey! Don't let the cave-in get you down, Sokka," Chong struts around him as he sings the words to his new song. Lily, Moku, and the other nomads seem to like it enough to dance. If only the floor wasn't so smooth, then maybe one of them would trip... 

Behind him, Sokka can hear Katara and Iroh talking. She asks him if he thinks Aang and Zuko are going to be okay.

"I don't know the answer. Sometimes, life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving, you will get to a better place." 

Sokka turns to look at his sister, a questioning look on his face. In response, Katara holds up the torch in her hand and glances at Sokka with a small smile, trying to reassure him. It's funny how easily people can become friends when in a perilous situation together. 

He keeps moving forward, catching a glimpse of Lily dancing to her husband’s song. Whatever, at least he is trying to figure out a way through the tunnels. 

***

Silence echoes through the tunnels again, even Appa has stopped his grumbling. What is Aang supposed to do with this information? He already hates the Fire Lord but now he knows how despicable he really is. How could any father be so cruel as to brand his own son, banish him, and send him on a useless quest, then make him think he deserves it all?

Aang considers all this and decides to continue, "Zuko, what he did to you wasn't right. You don't deserve this kind treatment...the scar or the banishment."

Zuko lets go of a breath he didn't know he was holding. No one has never said that to him point-blank. Uncle had danced around it after Zuko was sent away. It seemed like every day on the ship he used to find a different way to tell him, but it always sounded like a "just give it up" to Zuko. This is different.

"It doesn't matter, now. When I do capture you, I will show my father that I deserve to have my honor and place as the heir to the Fire Lord while be reinstated."

Aang is quiet again, he doesn't want to upset Zuko anymore. Hasn't Zuko been through enough? Even his own Nations' navy was after him at the North Pole. If Aang hadn't taken him from the tundra of the North Pole, he would have stayed out there, and no one would have known what happened, maybe only Zuko's Uncle would have cared. Aang asks the only question that won't immediately result in another fight...hopefully, "Are you sure?"

Aang gives Zuko a moment to mull over the question. Zuko puts his head down and starts walking again, not wanting to answer the Avatar. The globe of fire in his hand dims, he hasn't been sure in nearly a year when his Avatar quest was still coming up empty-handed...and now with Azula trying to take him and Uncle prisoner, he isn't sure he'll ever regain his honor.

Aang doesn't say anymore, Zuko's reaction was enough to silence him. He jogs to catch up to Zuko again, following the bobbing light and moody boy. 

Walking next to Zuko in the tunnels doesn't feel as dangerous as perhaps it should; Aang always tries to find the good in people. They keep walking, the sounds of Appa's footsteps crowding the tunnel and making it sound like he was twelve feet instead of six. Aang cautiously begins to hum the "Secret Tunnel" song again, and he swears he can hear Zuko humming with him.

As they round the corner of the tunnel, a large statue appears before them, guarding a sealed door.

"Avatar, look!" Zuko rushes forward to analyze the doorway, the fire he is holding turning from a golden yellow to bright orange.

"We've found the exit!" Aang joins him at the rock door as they both begin to strain against it. It won't budge.

From the shadows, Appa lets out a low grunt. He snorts and begins to paw at the ground, getting ready to charge. He hates the tunnels more than anyone. Zuko and Aang exchange a look of fear before darting out of Appa's way, the light disappearing as a pounding thud signifies the door has been knocked loose.

The doorway becomes a golden circle of light as Zuko straightens himself up and starts another fire. He crawls over the rock threshold and into the chamber, Aang following right behind.

Zuko looks around the room, "This isn't the exit."

Moving past Zuko, Aang makes his way to the end of the balcony they seem to be standing on, "No. It's a tomb."

As they stare out into the dimly lit room, they can see two stone coffins arranged in the middle of the floor below them. They gingerly make their way down the stairs, Appa bellowing from the balcony above them. When they reach the ground floor, they both make their way to the platform the coffins are resting on. Ornate symbols circle the platform, and statues carved into the stone facade of the tomb walls seem to watch the two boys as they being to decipher them. 

Aang bends down slightly to look at the etchings, then turns to Zuko who offers his firelight, "It must be the two lovers from the legend. That's who is buried here."

Zuko leans in with Aang and he surveys the carvings before them, "These pictures tell their story." Zuko walks around the platform reading the text from each panel. He looks at Aang with curiosity then begins to read aloud, "They met on top of a mountain that divided their two villages," he says as he gestures to the picture of a mountain with his empty hand. "Their villages were enemies so they could not be together...but their love was strong and they found a way. The two lovers learned earth bending from the badger-moles; they became the first earth benders." 

Zuko pauses and looks at Aang, illuminating his face and the rudimentary carving of the animal. Aang nods at him and Zuko continues to narrate the story of the lovers, "They built elaborate tunnels so they could meet secretly. Anyone who tried to follow them would be lost forever in the labyrinth. But one day, the man didn't come. He died in the war between the two villages. Devastated, the woman unleashed a terrible display of her earth bending power; she could have destroyed them all...but instead, she declared the war over."

Aang makes a small noise of recognition that stops Zuko from reading. Of course, the Avatar would draw connections between himself the woman. He has the weight of the world on his shoulders though, not just two villages. That kind of stress would be enough to make anyone desperate...let alone a kid. Sometimes Zuko forgets that he isn't the only one in the world with a huge destiny to fulfill.

Zuko shakes his head and keeps reading from the stone panels, "Both villages helped her build a new city where they could live together in peace. The woman's name was Oma and the man's name was Shu. The great city Omashu was built as a monument to their love."

Zuko faces Aang with a small smile, satisfied that he's done a good job retelling the story, but when he looks at Aang, the boy is peering at something behind Zuko. Zuko turns to see what Aang is looking at and makes the ball of fire in his hands glow just a little brighter as he holds it up. In front of them is the most detailed stone carving Zuko has ever seen. It must be the two lovers, Oma and Shu. They're both kneeling with their hands on their respective laps and their lips are meeting in a chaste kiss. Somehow, Zuko can feel the emotion held in the stone. Between the figures, there is an inscription. Without meaning to, he and Aang read it aloud at the same time, "Love is brightest in the dark."

***

Despite traveling with his sister, General Iroh, and the nomads, Sokka has taken on the mantel of the leader. He only half minds this responsibility. Really, he just wants to get away from Chong and Moku, they keep making up songs. But, right now, Sokka is blocked by yet another wall of rock.

"Oh, great! Your plans have led us to another dead end!" Moku shouts.

"At least I'm thinking of ideas and trying to get us out of here, Moku," Sokka says this while looking pointedly at Katara, who has been content taking up the rear of the group with Iroh. 

Katara looks right back at him, putting her free hand on her hip. "Sokka, why don't we stop for a moment and come up with a new idea."

"Woah, woah, wait a minute, we're thinking of ideas? Because I've had an idea for, like, an hour now." Chong says, stepping into the center of the group.

Exasperated, Sokka throws his hands in the air, causing Momo to leave the spot where he was curled up on Sokka's head, "Yes! We're all thinking of ideas!"

"Well listen to this," Chong continues, "If love is the key out of here, all we need to do is play a love song!"

"Chong, that is a great idea!" Katara says, looking at Sokka again. "The curse does say we'll be trapped in here forever unless we trust in love."

Chong begins to strum his instrument as Sokka groans and follows the group back the way they came.

***

"Love is brightest in the dark."

"Well, what does that mean!?" Zuko asks as he throws his arms up, casting light all around the room. Standing inside the Tomb of the Two Lovers with the Avatar and still having no way out of the tunnel was beginning to get to him.

Aang makes a noise that vaguely resembles the words "I don' know" from off to the side. He continues to stare up at the wall, then turns around to look at the rest of the room. Where the light from Zuko's fire couldn't reach, the walls were dark as night. And if Aang looked really hard at the ceiling of the room, he thought he could see a faint glow like stars. "Maybe it means we have to put our light out?"

"That's a horrible idea!"

"It's not like you can't just light back up!" Aang accuses Zuko, with his arms stretched out to his sides.

Zuko turns away from Aang, nearly crossing his arms before realizing his hands are busy with the flame still. He puts his nose up, "No."

Aang walks over to Zuko, summoning all his mighty Avatar skills and knowledge... and tries to bat the flame away with his bare hands from behind Zuko. "Just put it out!"

"No!" Zuko yells as he tries to move away from Aang who is still pawing at him, keeping him back with his forearm as a brace. "Get away!" 

Zuko puts his flaming hand straight up in the air as Aang begins to assault him. He has one hand on Zuko's head, pulling him down, and the other is trapped between Zuko's body and his empty-handed arm. Zuko tries to duck down to get out from under the Avatar to step back, but that only results in Aang getting both his arms under Zuko's armpits. Aang reaches towards the light. After a moment of struggle, the flames go out and they both drop their arms.

"Great, now we're just two guys in a dark cave."

In the dark, they step away from each other. Before Zuko can summon another flame, the ceiling begins to glow. First, it's dim green splotches of light then it becomes a florescent trail leading out the tomb room. Zuko can see the Avatar perfectly in the light, the green color making his arrow tattoos gleam. He's looking up at the glowing crystals with a look of awe and pure, unabashed happiness. Zuko looks up too. 

"It's beautiful," Aang says, with his neck craned back. The crystals make the cave ceiling look like an overcrowded night sky. "It's made of some kind of crystal; they must only light up in the dark!" He turns to Zuko as he says this, having taken in his fair share of the sight. 

Zuko makes no move to leave the spot he has rooted himself. Like Aang, he's mesmerized by the glowing crystals. He is thankful for a moment of peace; they may have found a way out of these caves. So much has happened today, and is still happening. Zuko never liked the idea of teaming up with the Avatar, especially since his sole purpose in life right now is to capture him. But this also isn't the first time he had had to work with him. The Avatar has saved his life, more than once. And the last time they talked the Avatar asked him if he thought they could have been friends. But what did he know? Nothing about Zuko's life, that's for sure. Except, well, now he did. He knew how Zuko got his scar, and why he was chasing the Avatar, and he offered to help Zuko. Spirits. Zuko looked down at his hands and sighed. He had no idea what he was going to do when he got out of this cave. 

Next to him, Aang swings his gaze from the crystals to Zuko again. He almost asks Zuko if he is okay but decides against it. Instead, he takes a step closer to him, looking at him with an earnest expression of questioning. He raises his hand to put it on the other boy's shoulder. Zuko lets him.

***

"Even if you're lost, you can't lose the love because it's in your heart!" Chong's love song echoes through the tunnel they are walking down. They have found nothing but dead ends and circular tunnels. Still, they are in decent spirits for a motley crew trapped in the cave system for hours. If only they had an earth bender with them. 

Sokka's torch had gone out 15 minutes ago, and Iroh had kindly taken up the job of torch bearer with Katara. They were leading the group of singing nomads through the tunnels on intuition alone. Since then, Sokka had fallen back, waving a bittersweet goodbye to being the leader of the group. He is now walking behind everyone, at the outskirts of the light, with Momo situated on his shoulder like a pirates' parrot. 

Ahead of him, the group stops. A rumbling growl sounds through the darkness ahead of them, much like the wolf-bat from earlier, but this time it’s amplified. Momo makes a whirring sound and leaps off of Sokka's shoulder and bounds back down the tunnel, even spreading his wings to get more distance. In the moment after Momo's disappearing act, seventeen wolf-bats come barreling into the light. They are frightful and snarling and heading straight for Sokka. Katara, Iroh, and the Nomads separate to either side of the cave, leaving Sokka alone in the middle of the tunnel to flail and scream as the wolf-bats fly over his head.

"Hey! You saved us Sokka!" Chong says moving towards Sokka as he straightens up. Momo makes his way back to Sokka's shoulder.

"No." Iroh says from next to him, "They were trying to get away from something."

Walking towards her brother, Katara asks, "From what?"

All around them the cave begins to rumble, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Katara stumbles and drops her torch, Sokka rushing to her aid. In front of them, the side of the tunnel burst open in a cloud of rock and dust. A low growl mixes with the sound of still tumbling rocks, and as the dust settles a huge beast makes itself known. Directly behind them, the tunnel wall opens in the same fashion. The creatures are easily the size of Appa, if not bigger, with light brown fur and stripes of white and black running down the middle of their backs. Their eyes are a clouded yellow color sending off a "proceed with caution" vibe.

Simultaneously, they slap their clawed hands down onto the earth and close the tunnel off in each direction, making another plume of dust. Once new walls are in place, the beasts spread their arms and create a trench through the rock, separating the group. The thing closest to Sokka starts to move forward, sending him through the air to land with a thud. He looks over at Chong and Katara, the only other people on his side of the divide. Katara is on her hands and knees, staring at the animals. Chong is lying flat on his back, his arms held in an X across his face as a shield. His guitar has been knocked off his back and is laying on the ground somewhere between them. As Sokka begins a strange crabwalk away from the lumbering animal, his hand strikes a chord. Literally.

The animal stops abruptly and quirks his head at the sound. It makes a curious noise somewhere in the back of its throat. 

Nervously, Sokka reaches back to grab the instrument, sitting up on his knees to strum it before standing in between the beast and playing as well as he could.

Beside him, Chong rises as well, exclaiming, "Hey! Those things are music lovers!" 

Sokka begins to strum in earnest and to sing offkey. "Badger-Moles coming towards me." He turns to Chong and Katara, "Come on guys, help me out!"

From who even knows where Chong immediately pulls out another guitar-like instrument, strumming in double time. "The big bad bagger-moles who opened the tunnels, hate the wolf bats, but love the sounds." Mako and the other Nomads begin to sway and dance, even Iroh joins in. 

Katara looks at Sokka, who is still strumming poorly, "Sokka! I think they're blind. No wonder they like music!"

***  
"This is how the lovers must have found each other," Aang continues. His voice is quiet in the glowing tunnel, "They just put out their lights and followed the crystals."

Now, in the less fiery light, Appa lows hopefully behind them. He steps closer to Aang, who moves his hand from its spot on Zuko's shoulder to Appa's face. Aang scratches the bison under his chin, who sticks his tongue out.

Zuko, released from his stupor when the Avatar moved his hand, looks over at him now. He raises a hand and points down the tunnel, "That must be the way out!"

For a moment, they smile at each other, unsure what to do next.

"So, um..." Aang raises his hand to face Zuko, asking for a High Five.

Zuko's smile drops, then he turns and takes off in the other direction, "C'mon! Let's Go!"

Appa trudges off behind Zuko, leaving Aang alone. For a moment, Aang stands still, incredulous. Then he smiles and shrugs, following Zuko.

They jog down the tunnel for a few minutes before realizing they still have a long way to go through the caves.

"Aargh! We must be near the heart of the mountain, not the exit." Zuko slows his pace to walk. He stops and turns to kick the tunnel wall. He immediately regrets it and lifts his knee to clutch his shin and hop around. "Spirits! That hurt!"

Aang doesn't say a thing, just smiles at Zuko, and tries to stifle his laugh. It's no use. "Zuko, it's rock."

Zuko turns on him, "Shut up, Avatar!" But he drops his injured foot and starts mumbling under his breath and scowling. Aang thinks he hears him say "I know it's rock!". 

Appa is no better, he keeps grumbling, no matter how many times Aang reassures him that they're almost out of the tunnels. Aang looks at Zuko, who is still nursing his foot. "So, what happens when we get out of here?"

Zuko puts his foot down and faces Aang. He looks serious, like he did at the beginning of this journey, like he's starting to see the Avatar as a target and not a person again. "What do you mean?" He says it with almost no emotion, guarding himself.

"I mean, like, are you going to try to capture me again?"

Zuko is quiet, he opens his mouth to speak but Aang beats him to it. "I don't want to fight you again, Zuko."

He isn't sure what to make of this kid. The Avatar, who has shown him so much kindness, given him so many chances, saved his life at least twice already. Quietly he says, "I won't fight you, Avatar."

Aang is amazed. Zuko really won't fight him? What about his honor? His ill-sought redemption from his father? All he says is, "Really?"

"Really. I'll find you another time. There is equal playing ground that way." Zuko says this very matter of fact as if it's the only answer he could have given.

"Oh."

It's quiet in the tunnels again. Aang starts to walk away from Zuko, Appa trailing behind him. He should have known better. It seems that every time Zuko has the option to do something good, he doesn't. Or he can't. Some part of him must still be clinging to his father and his “destiny”. 

Zuko has not moved from where he is standing. What did the Avatar think was going to happen? Zuko has never been more curious about a person in his life. His voice echoes down the cave as he asks, “Not what you were expecting me to say?"

Aang stops where he is and turns around to face Zuko again. He takes a breath. "Teach me fire bending.”

"Oh"

He just continues to look at Zuko, all joking gone from his face. The Avatar standing in Aang's place. He doesn't say anything but the line "not what you were expecting me to say?" hangs in the air between them. Zuko is completely stunned.

Finally, Aang speaks again. "Zuko...if I learn fire bending from you, we could take down the Fire Lord together. And end this war."

Zuko still doesn't know what to make of this situation. The Avatar is the most powerful and wise person all jammed into a 12-year-old kid. The juxtaposition can be alarming sometimes. Zuko just says the first thing that comes to mind, "You forget my sister."

That makes Aang lose his stance. He slouches a little and shuffles on his feet curiously. "You have a sister?"

Zuko lets out a breathy laugh before saying, "Yes, and she's much worse than me"

"Then we could take her down together, too"

Zuko doesn't reply, he just keeps walking next to Aang. He's torn between his allegiance to his father and his nation and what his uncle would want for him, what he has been slowly pushing him towards. Zuko's alone, and because he's alone, he's scared. He can't commit to anything right now. If Uncle was here, he would know what to do. Spirits, he would join the Avatar. But Uncle Iroh isn't here, so it's up to him. Zuko decides his best bet is to say something, without really saying anything. "Let's just make it out the cave first."

So, they keep walking in the quiet of the cave. They have to be nearing the exit now, it seems like they've been following the crystals for almost an hour, and Appa is getting more and more restless. 

As they walk, guided by the glowing stones, Zuko begins to think to himself again. Which is fine because the Avatar has started to hum, again. Zuko realizes that this may not be the first time they've worked together or saved one another, but this is the first time they've talked. And it hasn’t gone horribly. Maybe he should keep talking to him.

"Listen Avatar-"

"Aang."

"What?"

Aang smiles up at him like he's discovered a secret. "You keep calling me Avatar. My name is Aang."

"Oh," Zuko looks away from him, embarrassed. "Well, listen, Aang."

Zuko has been through a lot, more than anyone his age should have to experience. But he wants friends, he wants a life, and he wants to stop answering to his dad and General Zhao. He wants to prove to his Uncle that he's a good person. It's time to do his own thing, even if he isn't sure how it's going to turn out. The avatar shows up when he's most desperate, it must mean something. Zuko looks back at Aang with a soft smile, "If you get me out of here, I'll teach you fire bending."

Aang looks at him and cracks a huge, brilliant smile. "Really!?"

He's a bit apprehensive still, but Zuko nods. He can tell Aang is genuinely excited by this. 

"That's great, that's amazing! You're gonna be the best teacher! I can't wait!" Aang begins to chatter on and on about how amazing Zuko is going to be as a fire bending teacher and Zuko's smile grows. Maybe this was the right choice. Uncle would be proud. But Azula, and his father, they would be after him. The Avatar would be in even more danger traveling with Zuko. 

"Don't get too excited. My sister is after me, I'm wanted by the Fire Nation. We'll have to be careful."

Aang drops his smile, then picks it right back up. "We'll be fine! We've gotten away from you each time, haven't we?" Aang eyes him, mischief lighting his face.

Zuko just glares.

Finally, they're nearing the end of the tunnel, there is a faint yellow light glowing in front of them. The sun must be setting, they had spent hours wandering around the caves. They look at each other and start to run, Appa blowing past them and leading the way with a loud bellow. When they burst through the exit of the tunnel, they turn to each other laughing and hug. Zuko immediately realizes what he just did, drops his arms and steps back from Aang, who refuses to stand anywhere but right next to him. Then Zuko looks up.

About ten feet away from where they just exited the cave, is a bonfire. So, it wasn't the sun they had seen, they had spent a better part of the day trapped in the tunnel system together. There is music playing and two ladies are dancing around the group of people sitting together. His uncle is there, smiling at him. For an old man, he's pretty perceptive. There are also the two Southern Water Tribe kids Aang travels with. The girl looks...shocked, angry, relieved? Her face changes expressions every time the fire flickers. The boy sitting next to her just looks worn out. As if he's thinking "this might as well happen, today was already so weird". Which, yeah, it was.

The boy and the girl quickly recover, then the run over to Aang and give him a hug. The girl starts to talk, "Aang! We were so worried about you! You were in there for so long! What happened!?"

Her brother just says, "Good to see you, buddy!" He smiles and walks over to pet Appa who has crashed on the ground in relief. 

"Oh, man! You wouldn't believe it! First Zuko and I start fighting, but it really freaked Appa out so we-" Aang keeps talking, recounting the time they spent in the cave together. The girl keeps looking between Aang and Zuko. Every time she looks at the older boy she looks like she’ll have a few choice words and a water whip ready for him later. Zuko just stands there, arms at his side and his weight resting on his right leg, exhausted. In his peripheral, he can see his Uncle get up and make his way over to him.

"But now Zuko and I are friends! And he's going to be my fire bending teacher!"

Honestly, the girl looks scared. And the boy looks over from where he is with the bison. Even the music has stopped playing at that announcement.

Thankfully, Zuko's uncle steps in. "I'm sure Zuko will make a great addition to Team Avatar. He will be a good mentor for you." Iroh says as he places a warm hand on Zuko's shoulder, and smiles at him. Then he turns that smile on the Water Tribe girl. She doesn't say anything or change her expression, but she nods.

"Katara, isn't this great? Now we just need to find me an earth bending teacher!"

Katara looks at Aang, obviously still struggling with this news. "Yeah, Aang, this is good." She gives him a small smile and walks with him over to Appa. All three of them starting talking about the plan to get to Omashu, with the sun already down, they decide to leave in the early morning. Aang volunteers to tell Zuko the new plan.

"So," Iroh says. He sounds like the cat who got the sparrowkeet. "You finally captured the Avatar, huh, Prince Zuko?" He spins Zuko around to face him head-on, and places his other hand on his shoulder, too. "I'm proud of you, nephew."

Zuko looks at his uncle, the firelight dancing in his eyes, and he smiles. He bows his head to Iroh. "Thank you, Uncle."

Aang comes back over to where Zuko and Iroh are standing and talking by the cave exit. "Zuko, c'mon let's go sit down! Sokka says we'll never believe how they got out of the caves!" He grabs Zuko's arm and pulls him towards the fire, confident in his new friend and teacher.

For once, things seem to be okay, Zuko thinks. He's sitting between his uncle and the Avatar around a large bonfire. Introductions were done all around, and Chong is working on writing a new song to chronicle the adventures had today. Sokka is animatedly telling the story of "The Great Cave Escape" with interjections from his sister and Iroh. Zuko looks at Aang and laughs with him as Sokka tells them about the second pack wolf-bats they encountered. Embers rise into night sky along with their laughter.


End file.
